- A leaker claims that the iPhone 17 will have “virtually the same appearance”
- They also said that the iPhone Air 2 will have minimal external adjustments
- That could mean the next generation is the one iPhone fans should skip
If you were hoping for major changes to come to the iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2, you might want to tone down your excitement. That’s because a couple of new leaks suggest that Apple will offer only minimal changes to these upcoming devices when they arrive in 2027, with virtually nothing new in terms of their external appearance.
That idea comes from leaker Fixed Focus Digital, who took to Chinese social media site Weibo to explain what they expected from the upcoming devices. Starting with the iPhone 18, the leaker claimed that the product could see some slight changes in terms of size, but that the design itself would remain identical to the iPhone 17.
Specifically, according to Google Translate, Fixed Focus Digital wrote: “Industry sources indicate that the standard iPhone 18 will remain largely unchanged in appearance, except for a possible slight size difference.” That doesn’t exactly sound like a comprehensive review.
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Regarding the iPhone Air 2, Fixed Focus Digital said it will be a “normal iteration.” That seems to imply that we shouldn’t expect anything out of the ordinary, including the addition of a second camera, which, according to previous leaks, is on the way.
All in all, then, it seems that Apple’s upcoming non-Pro iPhones won’t receive many external changes. While we expect them to come with new chips and perhaps some internal updates, if you’re expecting new designs you might be out of luck.
Don’t hold your breath
I watched the unveiling of the original iPhone Air with great interest, but decided not to pull the trigger. At the time, my iPhone 16 Pro was only a year old and did everything I needed it to. And while the iPhone Air’s super-thin design was fascinating, I didn’t like the idea of having to give up two camera lenses to get it.
Previous leaks alleging that the iPhone Air 2 would come with dual rear cameras reignited my interest a bit, but with fixed digital focus seemingly burying that idea, I see little reason to move on to the iPhone Air 2. And with less supposedly happening with the iPhone 18, that’s out of the window for me.
Why would Apple choose to make so few changes to its devices? One culprit could be the company’s software. Apple’s focus for its upcoming operating systems, including iOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and more, is apparently one of stability, so it will focus on improving the user experience and fixing bugs rather than adding a bunch of new features. By reducing the number of hardware changes, Apple will reduce the need to change its software to accommodate these updates.
Another possibility is simply that Apple is happy with the way its phones look right now. Mobile innovation has slowed in recent years as designs have settled, and while the iPhone Air itself was a relatively radical change for Apple, it’s only a year old. That could make any changes to your appearance difficult to justify.
Whatever the case, it’s worth noting that Fixed Focus Digital’s claims run counter to those put forward by other leakers. Ultimately, we won’t know for sure what Apple’s plans are until new devices appear (something that’s now being discussed for next year), but based on the latest news, I won’t be holding my breath for any significant changes.
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